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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Life, times and tragedies of the Trevino clan

Anabel Hernandez for Proceso 10-27-2012

Translated by un vato for Borderland Beat

Once the governments of Mexico and United States declared Heriberto Lazcano dead, the Zeta leadership passed to Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, "El Z-40", "La Mona", or "El Muerto". He is part of an extensive Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, family, made up of 13 brothers, of whom at least six have been involved in drug trafficking in the last 15 years. In intelligence files from both countries and court files from the United States, Proceso found revealing facts on the life, criminal activities and the tragedy that surrounds the Trevino clan.

MEXICO, D.F. (proceso.com.mx) -- El Z-40 was born June 28, 1973, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, a Zeta bastion for more than a decade. His parents are Rodolfo Trevino, who was already 49 years old when Miguel Angel was born, and Maria Arcelia Morales, then 34.

According to information from government intelligence agencies, Mexican as well as U.S., Maria Arcelia Morales was alive up to 2007; today she would be 74 years old. She lived in Nuevo Laredo, had a passport to visit some of her children and grandchildren who live in the United States and had a Lincoln Navigator wagon registered in her name.

The Trevino criminal history began 19 years ago, with Juan Francisco, aka "Kiko Ozuna", the oldest son of the Trevino Morales couple. On December 29, 1993, in a random inspection by the U.S. customs service, Juan Francisco's vehicle was stopped and he twice denied he was carrying more than $10,000 in cash. When they searched the car, they found $47,984.00, which was confiscated.

That year, the DEA and the Border Patrol had begun an investigation into the trafficking of tons of marihuana from Nuevo Laredo into Texas, but they only had a few pieces of the puzzle. According to criminal case file No. 3:95-CR--189-R, in the Northern District Court in Texas, of which there is a copy, in October 1994, the United States government charged Juan Francisco Trevino, another Trevino by the name of Armando -- it's not known if they are related--, Abraham Padilla (Benny), Abel Lopez, Fernando Quiroz (Vanna), Hipolito Ortiz (Polo), Oscar de Leon (Pelon), and Edel Isaac with criminal enterprise for possession of more than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lbs) with the intent to distribute. At that time, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales was only 21 years old.

On October 18, 1994, Juan Francisco Trevino, Armando Trevino and Pedro Sanchez appeared before a magistrate and, based on the law then in effect, asked for a speedy trial which should have been held within 70 days after they voluntarily appeared in court.

On May 26, 1995, Juan Francisco filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him for violating his right to a speedy trial. On June 15, 1995, a court of original jurisdiction held a hearing and dismissed the charges that had been filed in October, 1994.

Kiko Ozuna believed he would be freed from prison immediately. He didn't know that some days prior, on June 7, the prosecution had filed new charges against him for another conspiracy to distribute more than a ton of marihuana in the United States. While he was waiting for a speedy trial, the DEA obtained sufficient evidence to convict him. As in the majority of these cases, the agency accomplished this through accomplices that went into the informants and protected witness program. Those statements completely sunk Juan Francisco.

Everardo Ramirez, introduced as a government witness by the prosecution, testified in court that an individual with the surnames Tovar Ozuna introduced him to Juan Francisco Trevino, who offered him employment. The work consisted of transporting marihuana from Nuevo Laredo to Dallas. Ramirez's first duty was to store the weed in his house for several days then take it to the house of Pablo de Luna.

"The following month, at the request of Tovar Ozuna, Ramirez agreed to store and deliver marihuana that was to be transported to Dallas. Tovar's job was to bring the marihuana across the (Rio Grande) river for Juan Trevino and (take it) to Ramirez. For his part, Ramirez would take it to Pablo de Luna's house, where it was stored and then transported using a business on the border," states the court file.

Ramirez testified that he had participated in trafficking marihuana from Nuevo Laredo to Dallas about three times a month for a year and a half. He added that the largest load he stored was 600 lbs (272 kilograms) and that on U.S. territory they transported the drug on Suburban station wagons, using private roads on a large ranch to avoid police checkpoints. Frank Staggs, owner of the ranch, testified that the ranch caretaker was Armando Trevino.

Everardo Ramirez also testified that he would go to a hotel in Dallas to meet with Jose Trevino Morales, the brother of Juan Francisco, who was in charge of paying him for his services. It took the United States government years to detect and stop Jose's criminal activities, who, 17 years later, turned out to be the head of the Zeta money laundering network in the United States through the quarter horse racing business.

Another key prosecution witness was Joe Chavez, who worked for Kiko Ozuna. In December of 1993, he approached DEA Special Agent Armando Ramirez and offered to become an informant. "He had a feeling this thing (the criminal network) was going to collapse," the court file points out. On January 24, 1994, Joe tipped off the DEA special agent about a marihuana shipment that was going to be delivered to Dallas on January 26. Agent Ramirez, working undercover, helped Joe Chavez load more than 463 kilograms (about 1,019 lbs) of marihuana on a Suburban (parked) next to a mobile home in Laredo.

When the load got to Dallas, (law enforcement) agents were waiting and they arrested Riky Trevino and Abel Lopez. "Chavez testified that the marihuana that was seized was destined for, or belonged to, Francisco Trevino Morales," states the court file. That was enough for the oldest of the Trevino brothers to lose all hope of getting out of prison.

On December 1, 1995, Kiko Ozuna was sentenced to 22 years in prison, which will be completed in 2017, when he is 62 years old. He was sent to a prison close to Laredo, and, according to the terms of the sentence, when he is released he will be on supervised probation for five years "with normal conditions and with four additional conditions."

Juan Francisco Trevino Morales is still in prison. His younger brother, Miguel Angel, followed in his footsteps and surpassed him, becoming the leader of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the continent, the Zetas, which last year the Barack Obama administration classified as a "global menace" comparable to the Camorra in Italy, the Yakuza in Japan and the Circle of the Brothers in Russia.

Have you ever wonder why Treviño hasn't reply to La Tuta like he did with Chapo and why where banners place with El Talibans picture with CT and CDG when he just denied any alliances with them he didnt make one with them..what ever happened to CDJNG haven't heard of them pricks in a while since the supposed war with cds...I say Treviño dies the way Scarface did and end up with more off springs groups of los Zetas which results into more chaos (Your Always Gonna Hate On What You Can't Understand)

I know that people on here usually post under anon cause its quicker than signing in, But you obviously do it simply because you are stupid. Zeta's Began Operations 1998, psuedo-military extension of the Gulf Cartel2008, began contracting services to other cartels2009, gained autonomy from Gulf Cartel

Unless you have been hit with an IED at some point in your life you should have enough remaining fingers and toes to do the math on the age of the zetas.

I served in Recon while it was still "recon" the 3rd Tuesday we were in Afghanistan we were hit by a road side IED inside a surplus artillery shell. It was before we had got word of all the troubles before we got a chance to upgrade our armor correctly. We ended up losing the officer and the man on the 50. I had a severe concussion and 4 discs blown out. So I can completely understand what he means if he is in the military. When your asking about someone possibly serving you should consider asking without the sarcasm because when you've lost as many men as I have or went healthy and came back barely able to stand your constant pain rarely sleeping always wanting to be alone so you can cry and drink away the sounds of your battle brothers screaming for you not to let them die and promising that they will see there daughters again. The pictures fused in your memory of your brothers brains hanging out with the flies on them in there mouths. Seeing innocent little children that have done nothing shot or ran over screaming with there parent dead in the street the way they look at your eyes I MEAN RIGHT IN YOUR EYES AT YOUR SOUL and knowing your face to them isn't a hero fighting for freedom, it will always be the face of the murderer of the one who killed the one they loved most. To come home from all that and everything is peace and happiness, and watch the news saying that the war is fake or the war is an excuse for oil or just a government cover up is hard to hear. To even think that you suffered greater than most to become the best warrior out of a selection of the best warriors from the strongest force and survived all that wishing you hadn't and for people to say its a joke is hard to not lose your mind. Even if you don't agree with our government next time you make a comment like that think of the ones who lost there lives and suffered to this day and how that makes us feel. It's a god aweful feeling to hear shit like that

16 brothers and sisters?!?! Damn their parents must have been busy!! Woooo! Thats Mexico familys for you lol. My moms family is around 7 brothers and sisters. I know im not going to have that many here in the us lol. And yet living in the poor our Mexican parents still survived. Inspirational.

It was an eye for an eye brother for brother they killed la barbies brother for being to flashy in nuevo laredo captured zetas told barbie this in the infamous first video of the narcowars where barbie captures zetas in acapulco and he interrogates and then kills all of them himself

Is it just me are we still waiting for Chapo to kill the rest of the Zetas. Just so everyone knows Z40 didn't rat on Lazca it was the work of el Chapo who paid the mexican military $140 million to find him and kill him. Apparently he can offer a much higher reward to kill his enemies than the U.S. and mexico combined. Pretty sure chapo will get 40 once he's saved up another $100+ million.

I DONT KNOW WHICH ONE IT IS,BUT ONE OF THE MODS,WHOEVER IT IS,HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR AND MISCHIEF,JUST LIKE ME.Shake it up now and then,let it ride and see what happens,bit of trouble,argument,its all good.You people see it in comments,there are some self righteous clowns on here who need the piss taking out of them.Some real phony intellectuals and wannabe do-gooders,who tell everyone just how ggod they are.Save us from any more people like that.

@6:58am Actually, Los Texas were the ones that helped Zs get established in Nuevo Laredo to get rid of Los Chachos. Then the Zs ran out Los Tejas after they were already familiar with the place. Memillo son of "El Borrado or 02" bitch slapped a Z for screwing his sister and that was the excuse to brake off that friendship.

That was because during a shoot out federal police commander Francisco Del Moral Zamudio was killed. Arturo Martinez aka El Texas compadre and friend state police informant Cesar Benavides aka La Canica betrayed Arturo, La Canica told Arturo to go with him to a meeting with the federal police commander, but La Canica only intention was to turn in Arturo, Arturo's people didn't trust Cesar Benavides aka La Canica and they followed them, a gun fight erupted and several people were killed, they were the federal commander, El Carlon and a pregnant lady that is said was El Carlon's wife. About five years ago La Canica was working at a warehouse in Wilmington, Ca. Going to try to get the company name, address, and will post it later.

El chapo guzman and mayo zambada r the real deal in the mafia they dnt look to extend territory or fight anybody they only protecy there terf and make it stronger but if some 1 try to take over thats when u see rats with out head if caldeton wouldnt never declare war to narcotrafic everything would of been good no killings jst making money but if i remember u.s. Kept tryin to stop the trafiking n they couldnt do it by them self so they kept telling the mexican presidents but the only 1 that kissed ass was stupid calderon and now his got over 40000 deaths on his hands.

El mayo and el chapo are not the same business the above is true of el mayo el chapo is greedy and only stays in Sinaloa for protection. I understand where you got that from with all the propoganda but do your own research pleaseSALUDOS from Mazatlan

I think its a matter of time before z40 gets captured/killed. He don't know how to be boss. They say that he was already boss before lazcano died due to lazcano being ill of I don't know what. I read this on a post. From earlier this month. But I doubt it because on that same post it says that even z40 is sick of HIV/aids. And that's the reason I think he wont last!

After reading all the f--ken "Screw Ball" comments in this blog it's embarrasing to sayyou even read them. 75% of you people don't evenknow how to spell! Another thing is you people are constantly trying to let everybody else thats reading the comments section,think that you mustbe some "Heavy" that definately knows whats going on in beautiful downtown Nuevo laredo cuzyou know a girl who knows a guy who once fucked a sister inlaw of the gas station attendent at the Local Pemco station. R U 4 Real??? Who the Fuck cares if some douche bags name was Gracielaor Anna Bannana and was married to some scum bag named Chacho? Isn't he the guy from "Happy Days"?

"El chapo guzman and mayo zambada r the real deal in the mafia they dnt look to extend territory or fight anybody they only protecy there terf and make it stronger but if some 1 try to take over thats when u see rats with out head" Dude please do some study before you type down utter lies, Chapo has invaded practically every other cartels territory,Do some research buddy stop swinging off Chapo's NUTTZ!!!

"About five years ago La Canica was working at a warehouse in Wilmington, Ca. Going to try to get the company name, address, and will post it later"Dude i don't think you should post shit like that?Whats it got to do with you?You could get the dude killed if certain people happen to find out?You and i both know,it does not get forgotten about.Why should it after what he done,but i don't think its down to us to post his address and shit?

U mite think ur the smartest guy in the blog ur no body homie ur jst another ass typing.all o got yo,say is if u have never live in Mexico b4 2000 u shouldnt talk shit if u dnt know what u talking about jst cuz u read an read to "be smart" lol u'v never seen the real deal that real shit happrn in Mexico jst like in us in the news they nevet tell u the truth like in the war. They went to free the modle east lol keep thinking that no disrespect to the brave Americans that died and fought in it cuz alot of my friends fought in it but they lie to the Americans jst like they lie in Mexico so dnt believe everything I read smart ass

I like to read the comments on this website and bestgore.comIt's unbelievable the screwed up comments people make. We're talking about human lives here, whether they were involved in drugs or not. The US isn't getting involved because the majority of the Mexican Government is CORRUPT! Innocent families are being torn apart by these people. It seems to be its all about killing now instead of making money. Then most of you people are talking trash to the other people on here and about the drug bosses but posting under anonymous lol. When 2 Central Intelligence Officers get shot at by gang members and the Mexican Government seems like they're hiding something, there's a very good reason why the US isn't willing to stick there hands out.